Evaporator-condenser construction



` Oct. 23, 11945. F. D. PELTIER 2,387,465 EVORATOR CONDENSER CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 5o, 1943 2. muuu \l /l d l, HIHHHHIIM f M A20 /6 x1 l l ||||||i l"'IHIIIIHIHIIIIIIIIHHIIIIWM -||ll|l HII lll IIIIIHIHI Patented I Oct. 1945 Frank n. Peltier, Horsham, ra., assigner to' Phnco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corpora'- tion of Pennsylvania Application November 30, 1943, Serial No. 512,389

4 Claims.

y a novel and advantageous arrangement inthe refrigerator structure'of the evaporator and condenser units of the heat exchange system.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved, unitaryV evaporator-condenser construction, which is especially useful in domestic refrigerators of a relativel,y simple and low` cost type.

. It is customary, in present day refrigerators,

to arrange the evaporator within the food storage compartment in such manner -that the eifective evaporator surfaces project into the storage space;

l and to locate the condenser at `suine position in l the cabinet, well removed from the evaporator and its support.

Such arrangements have substantial disadvanftages, particularly in refrigerators in which simplicity'and flow cost are factors of prime importance. For example, arrangements of this ltype are wasteful of refrigerated space and relquire extended and complicated connections between the evaporator, condenser, and motor-compressor unit. Such prior practice has been par-l ticularly disadvantageous in that lit is `diillcult to 'and replacements.

, It is a primary object of the present inventionV `to'provide "a refrigerator in which the evaporator i `and-condenser are readily `removable as a unit,

` `and in which the necessary connections between `the evaporator and the condenser are unusually compact and direct, thereby facilitating both manufacture and assembly.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to providel a refrigerator in which one wall thereof incorporates both the evaporator and ondenser elements: saidwall 'being constructed as` a unit and constituting a readily separable element of the cabinet structure.

- t The invention also contemplates an extremely `anism.

` low-cost construction, wherein the elements which `forni the interior and exterior sides of one wall are `utilized also as evaporator and condenserv heat exchange surfaces, respectively. i

f A further object ofthe invention resides in a `wall structure of the general type referred to, `which is provided also with means for supporting .unitarily therewith thle motor-compressor mecht The invention furtheri contemplates-the pro-` ".visionwof a domestic refrigerator in which ade.

`quete cooling of the/foodstorage space is effected,

This invention relates to refrigerators of the mechanical type. and has to do particularly with without sacrice of available storage area or of accessibility thereto.

These and other objects and advantages will be better understood by consideration of the fol- Ilowing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated apre- `ferred embodiment of the invention, the single figure of the drawing being a sectional view taken generally through the vertical mid-plane of the refrigerator and showing the novel wall structure detached from the cabinet.

With reference to the drawing, the reference character R designatesa domestic refrigerator of the 'mechanical type which, generally, comprises an outer metal shell S and an inner metal shell or liner L. 'The liner L surrounds the usual' l food storage compartment C, which preferably is detach the components of the operating mech- 1 anism from the cabinet to ell'ect necessary repairs provided with suitable shelves. The refrigerator 4has a door D, which may be of conventional type and which aordsaccess from the front to the food storage compartment C, suitable gasket means G being interposed between the door and y the cabinet in accordance 4with the usual'practice.

In accordance lwith the present invention, one wall of the cabinet (preferably the rear wall) is provided with an opening 2 which, in the embodiment illustrated,l is substantially coextensive with the area defined by the rear edges of the liner L. As shown at '3 3, suitable -thermal breakery strips are provided around the marginal edge of the cabinet opening 2, and these strips form the` walls of said opening and prevent any substantial heat transfer between the outer and inner shells.- The breaker strips 3-3 also serve to conceal and to confine the adjoining portions of the insulation l which fills the space between the shells These strips may be of any desired type, and may be attached by any convenient means to opposed flanges 5 and .l of the outer shell and inner liner, respectively. t

` 'Ehe removable wall portion with which the invention is particularly concerned, preferably takes 'the form of a unitary plug,. and is of a shape and size to t snugly within the opening 2 of the' cabinet. As mentioned above, `and for convenience in illustration, this wall is shown detached from the refrigerator cabinet. Preferably, this removable Wall comprises an innermetal facing l and an outer metal face portion 9, the space between the facings belngillled with any suitable insulating material Iii, such for example as spun 1 glass. Breaker strips Il-II maintain the fac- 1118sv 8 ani-1.9, which may take the form of metal sheets, in spaced relation, and are secured to the facings in a manner generally similar to that employed in connection with the thermal breakers 3-3.' When the unitary Wall structurels in assembly lwith the y,refrigerator cabinet, the breaker strips II-II support the removable plug by virtue of their contact with breakers 3 3 vxed in the cabinet aperture. It will be seen 4that the facing 9 is provided With a peripheral flange I2, which defines coplanar marginal edge portions adapted to cooperate with a gasket I3 to preclude entrance of air'and moisture into the foodstorage compartment.

As brought out above, the removable wall structure of thev present invention'` also incorporates the refrigerator evaporator and condenser elee mentsas parts of the unitary construction. To

this end, suitable evaporator tubing I4is secured in` convolute arrangement against the rearward surface of the facing `8, sufdcient tubing being provided to assure the desired degree of cooling in the food storage compartment. While` this desired manner, it. is preferably in .serpentine configuration having relatively short vertical `runs I5, and longer substantially horizontal runs shown in cross-section at I6. In the present instance the tubing is attached to the facing, and the attachment is effected in a manner to afford a highly efficient thermal coupling'- between the tubing and the facing. This may be accomplished in a number of different ways, such for example as by welding. By virtue of this construction, 'the facing 8, in addition to forming a complementary part'of the liner L, functions also as an active element of the-evaporator; with the entire i exposed'surface of the facing 8 operating as a necessarily define the inner and outer limits of the wall plug, it being necessary only that the facings be arranged in a: manner such that when the plug is in 'place in the cabinet the facing 8 shall be disposed in heat exchange relation with respect to the atmosphere within the compartment C, and the facing .Q shall be thermally remote to the facing 8 and disposed exteriorly tion wherein it may adequately perform its condenser function. 4 e

The motor-compressor, designated generally by the reference lcharacter I8, is carried byan outrigger structure comprising transverse tie menibers I9 which directly support said motor-cornpressor, and one or more suspension rods 20, are iixedly secured to -the plug, as at 2|, and to the rear ends of the members I9. Suitable 'suction landfeed lines 22 and 23 extend upwardly from the motor compressor to the evaporator and condenser, respectively; while a flow restrictor, preferably inthe form of a capillary tube 24, is ar- --ranged within the wall structure, and provides for delivery of the condensed liquid from the conl denserv tubing I1 vinto the evaporator section Il.

It should. be understood that the suction and tubing -may be arranged on the facing 8 in any tration, and that they may be variously arranged, 4

in the interior o'f the wall structure, for exam-1 ple, immediately adjacent the exterior surface thereof, as desired.

In assembling the structure, the entire rear wall in the form of the unitary plugand carrying the motor-compressor, is introduced-into the cabinet opening 2, as a unit, and is fixed therein (as by screws 25) with the peripheral iiange I2 in firm engagement with the gasket I3. When thus assembled, the motor-compressor I8 is disposed entirely within the machinery compartment 26 provided in the lower part of the refrigerator cabinet. If desired,.the motor-compressor may be mounted resiliently with respect to the tie members I9, in any convenient manner.

-From the foregoing description, it win be evident that the present invention provides a uniare both the evaporator and condenser carried by the removable wall portion; but that the structural elements which form` the interior and exterior faces ofthe removable plug assembly serve also as active heat exchange elements of vthe evaporator and the condenser, thereby effecting a `substantial `reduction and saving in metal that otherwise would be required in the evapoy' rator-and condenser units.

In addition, the complete refrigerating system may `be constructed and assembled apart from the refrigerator cabinet and may then, if desired, be packedand shipped as a unit, for inembodiment, only, andthat changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the v appended claims.

1 between and normally disposed in positions adpartment, a separable wall portion comprising inner and outer metallic facing` elements arranged in spaced relation with insulation therejoining the interior andexterior of said com- `with respect to the said compartment in a posipartment, respectively, evaporator means secured to said inner facing in intimate heat exchange relation therewith and arranged substantially in the plane thereof, and condenser means secured. to said outer facing in intimate heat exchange unit from said cabinet.

.2. In arefrigerator, a cabinet having lthermaly lymsulated walls defining a food storage com,-

` partment, a separable wall portion' comprising `feed lines are shown removed from the exterior inner and outerk metallic facing elements arranged in spaced relation with insulation therebetween and normally disposed interiorly and exteriorly ,with'respect to said compartment, re-" spectively, evaporator tubing arranged within said insulation' in heat exchange relation with said inner facing, andl condenser tubing secured against the outside surface of said outer facing. l

in heat exchange relation therewith, said wall Yinsulated and having an insulated removable wall portion, the inner andouter facings of said wail portion constituting heat exchangeelements of an evaporator and a condenser respectively, a compressor unit located in the other of said compartments and supported by said wall portion,

j and refrigerant conduits operatively interconnecting said compressor unit, said evaporator, and

said condenser.

4. A unitary insulated wall structure constituting a removable part of a refrigerator cabinet, said structure comprisinga pair of metallic sheets arranged in spaced relation, insulation in the space between said sheets, an evaporator com-l prising a convoluted metal tube bonded integrally vand substantially throughout itslength to a surface of one of said sheets, a condenser comprising a convoluted metal tube bonded integrally and substantially throughout its length to the outer surface of the other of said sheets, and meansvvcarried by said wall structure and operatively interconnecting said evaporator and condenser.

` FRANK D. PELTIER. 

